SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants are adding some rainbow to their traditional colors of black, orange, cream and gold this Saturday, when the team hosts the Chicago Cubs for its Pride Day game.
The team will be the first in Major League Baseball history to infuse the colors of the Pride flag into its uniforms to celebrate both LGBTQ fans and the community.
“We are extremely proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community as we kick off one of the best annual celebrations in San Francisco by paying honor to the countless achievements and contributions of all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are allies of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Larry Baer, S.F. Giants president and CEO, in a tweet.
Players will wear a custom cap and a patch on their right sleeves bearing the Pride-themed SF logo, with the six colors of the traditional Gilbert Baker flag, topped with an additional five colors that are part of the Progress Pride Flag, designed by Daniel Quasar. Together, the 11 colors signify inclusion: Black and brown recognize LGBTQ+ people of color, and light blue, pink and white recognize those who are transgender, as seen in the Trans Pride flag designed by Monica Helms.
As soon as the news got out, Giants’ vice president of external affairs Roscoe Mapps said his phone started buzzing.
“I started getting messages from a variety of people, some officials, some friends in the community, some leaders, and even some colleagues internally who were saying, ‘This is phenomenal. I feel seen. This is incredible,’ which is what we were hoping for, you know?” Mapps told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I started getting chills.”
Of course, the Giants are just one of four MLB teams in California. No word yet on Pride Night plans from the Angels; The Oakland A’s are giving away Pride Rally towels on their Pride Night, June 11. And that same night, the Dodgers pull out all the stops with what some call the biggest Pride Night in pro sports. The 2020 World Series champion team also modified its logo this season to include Pride colors, albeit not on the L.A. players’ uniforms.
So do the Dodgers see the Giants as trying to one-up them?
“In this area, the Dodgers, Giants and Major League Baseball are aligned,” Erik Braverman, Dodgers senior VP for marketing, communications and broadcasting, told the Los Angeles Blade. “We salute the Giants for what they are doing. While we will always be rivals on the field, when it comes to many issues off the field, we stand together for the greater good.”
Giants fans who purchase a special event ticket for $50 get a free SF Pride T-shirt along with their seat in either the “socially distant” or “fully vaccinated” sections.
Courtesy of the SF Giants
On hand for the game, which starts at 4:15 p.m. PDT, will be MLB’s most prominent voice for LGBTQ inclusion, Billy Bean, the VP and special assistant to the commissioner as well as the MLB ambassador for inclusion since 2014.
Of course not every gay baseball fan will be cheering on the Pride colors-adorned home team. Chicago’s most prominent gay sportswriter and standup comedian, Ken Schultz, declared to the Los Angeles Blade: “I will be almost as proud seeing the Giants take the field in Pride caps as I will be to see the Cubs beat them that evening.”
Them’s fighting words, Ken!
